Exchange Messaging Outlook 8 Nov 2000

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Exchange Messaging Outlook
Volume 5, Number 12

Today's highlights:

Exchange 5.5 denial of service hotfix
Notifications from another mailbox
New tips for Outlook forms developers
Address auto-resolution vs. auto-complete

Regular features:

New utilities
Updated utilities
Other new resources

Exchange 5.5. Denial of Service Hotfix

Exchange 5.5 Information Store Patch 5.5.2653.22 fixes a security hole that makes Exchange 5.5 vulnerable to a denial of service attack via a malformed MIME header. For the download and details, see:

http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/Release.asp?ReleaseID=25443

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS00-082.asp

The articles mention that Exchange 5.5 Service Pack 4 will be released shortly. SP4 will include this fix.

We are keeping a running tally of articles on post-SP3 fixes for Exchange 5.5 at http://www.slipstick.com/exs/exs55sp3.htm#postsp3.

Notifications from Another Mailbox

If you need to monitor a second Exchange Server mailbox in addition to your own, how can you find out when that mailbox gets new items? We can think of four different methods:

Rules -- You cannot create rules in your own mailbox that operate on items coming into another user's Inbox. However, if you have Owner access to the mailbox (or the aid of an administrator with Owner access), you can create a new profile to open the other mailbox directly. While working in that profile, create a rule that forwards items from the other user's Inbox to your own. This rule will run on the server. (If you're not sure what makes a rule server- or client-based, see

http://www.slipstick.com/rules/serverbased.htm

Outlook Bar -- You can add the other mailbox's Inbox folder to your own Outlook Bar. The other user or an administrator should first use a separate profile to open the other mailbox directly and grant you Reviewer rights on the top level of the mailbox (the one listed as Outlook Today in the Folder List). Then, you need to go to Tools | Services and open the properties for the Exchange Server service. On the Advanced page, add the other mailbox to the service. When you return to the Folder List, you'll see the other mailbox listed along with yours. You can then drag the Inbox to your Outlook bar. The Outlook Bar icon should keep an unread message count in parentheses, just as it does with your own mailbox folders.

Script -- Another possibility is an Exchange Server Event Service script that sends out a message when a new item arrives in a folder. For an example of such a script, see http://www.cdolive.com/pfalert.htm. This sample was designed for public folders, but could be adapted to mailbox folders. If you're new to Exchange folder scripts, see http://www.slipstick.com/dev/scripting.htm.

Add-ins -- We list several notification tools at http://www.slipstick.com/addins/notify.htm and know that at least one, MAPInotify: Shadow of Power!, can modify multiple Exchange mailboxes.

New Tips for Outlook Forms Developers

I just love practical how-to articles! Microsoft recently has published several covering some tricky forms issues. Here are my favorites:

How to add a Categories button to a form
http://support.microsoft.com/support/Office/InProdHlp/Outlook/olovrOverviewOfContactForms.asp

OL2000 How to Display a Web Page in an Outlook Form
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q231/9/27.asp

OL2000 How to Programmatically Set a Form's From Field
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q232/3/09.asp

For more tips on how to deal with common form design issues, see our page at http://www.slipstick.com/dev/forms.htm.

Address Auto-Resolution vs. Auto-Complete

People who move from Outlook Express to Microsoft Outlook 97, 98 or 2000 are often puzzled that Outlook doesn't automatically complete the names of recipients the way that OE does.

The best way to make the transition is to understand Outlook's auto-resolution feature. For frequently used names, you can set a nickname that Outlook will automatically resolve to the full address. The nickname needs to be part of the contact's full name. In other words, you won't be able to use "Boss" as the nickname for your boss (unless, of course, his or her name is something like "Boss Tweed"). Here's how to set up a nickname:

Start a new message.
Type the text you want to use for the nickname into the To box.
Fill in the subject and start typing a message.
When you see the name in the To box underlined with a red squiggle, right-click on the name. You'll see a choice of matching names from your address book. Choose the one you want to use or click More Names to get other choices.

Next time you want to send a message to that person, just type in the text from Step 2 again. Outlook will automatically get the address for you and will underline the full name in a dashed green line to highlight that auto-resolution did its job.

FYI, Microsoft is adding an "auto-complete" feature in Outlook 10, the new version due out next year.

New Utilities

IVORY PERSONAL
http://cellution.co.il/html/IvoryPersonal_Prodct_Spec.htm
Use your WAP-capable mobile phone to access Outlook running on your desktop. Also comes in an enterprise edition to connect to Exchange Server.

NETPAB
http://www.netpab.de/English/enProducts/enProd_Netpab/enprod_netpab.html
Allows Outlook users to share a Personal Address Book or Contacts folder for read-only access. Apparently can share other information in a PST file as well as Contacts. Supports only Windows 95 or 98.

ORBIS SMS
http://www.orbis-intelliware.com/products/sms.html
SMS and pager messaging service for Outlook and Exchange, either workstation- or server-based.

OUTLOOK SPY
http://www.dimastr.com/outspy/
Developer utility for finding out what's going on inside Outlook, via the Outlook object model, CDO and MAPI. You can edit and delete most properties, drag properties from one item to another, copy values to the clipboard, run scripts, monitor events. Beta, but highly recommended.

SMS REMINDER
http://www.tassie.net.au/jay/sms/
Sends appointment reminders and selected e-mail messages to your SMS-capable phone.

VISUAL CDO 2000
http://www.vbtoys.com/Downloads.asp
Tool for Web Storage System developers that generates the necessary CDO and ADO from your keystrokes as you navigate folders, create items, set properties, etc. Great learning tool, as well as a huge shortcut for application developers.

Updated Utilities

ENTERPRISE CALENDAR APPLICATION
http://209.180.174.105/GroupCalendar/
This sample application by Tom Howe has been updated to use Exchange 2000 event sinks to resolve some of the limitations in the original version.

EROOM
http://www.instinctive.com/product/features.asp
Version 5.0 of this web-based collaboration environment features synchronization of the Team Calendar with your Outlook calendar and a dashboard interface for tracking your eRooms, as well as your mail.

LISTKING
http://www.xequte.com/listking/index.html
Version 2.01 of this mailing list software for Outlook includes improvements in user sending, sub-folder scanning and name storage.

SCANMAIL FOR EXCHANGE
http://www.antivirus.com/products/smex/
Version 3.51 of Trend Micro's anti-virus software for Exchange Server supports both MAPI and Microsoft's newer anti-virus API for scanning the information stores directly.

SIMPLY BITWARE
http://www.accpac.com/products/communication/bitware/bitware_32bit.asp
Version 8.2 of this fax and voice mail service adds fax and voice mail routing to remote locations, scheduled voice mail sending, Caller ID logging, call log for incoming/outgoing calls.

Other new resources

"ACTIVEX PARAMETER VALIDATION" VULNERABILITY PATCH
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms00-085.asp
Windows 2000 only. Fixes a problem with an ActiveX control that could allow code in an HTML message to run via a buffer overrun.

DIGITAL DASHBOARD RESOURCE KIT 2.01
http://www.microsoft.com/business/digitaldashboard/WhatsNewDD.asp
Includes the Exchange 2000 Digital Dashboard that takes advantage of the Web Storage System

EXCHANGE 2000 DEMONSTRATION SITE
http://exchange2000.devx.com/
DevX site for Exchange 2000 resources, built on ... Exchange 2000. Registration required.

INSERT OUTLOOK CONTACT INFORMATION INTO WORD DOCUMENTS
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/periodic/period00/ivb0076.htm
Article from Inside Visual Basic that builds a mini address book of Outlook contact information for quick insertion into Word documents.

MODIFY OUTLOOK FOLDER SETTINGS
http://cwashington.netreach.net/script_repository/view_scripts.asp?Index=55&ScriptType=kixtart
Kixtart script to move PST and PAB files from, for example, a user's C: drive to their server home folder.

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Updated Apr 07 2008

Exchange Messaging Outlook Volume 5, Number 12